Shoe upper pressing and shaping machine



pr 1943- J. F. SMITH I 2,3,15,125'- SHOE UPPER PRESSING AND SHAPINGMACHINE Filed March 22, 1940 Patented Apr. 6, 1943 SHOE. UPPER PRESSINGAND SHAPING M'ACHINE.

J ohn F. Smith, Quincy, Mass.,-assignor to Milton L. Dodge, Newburyport,Mass.

Application March 22, 1940, Serial N 0. 325,379 9 Claims. (01. 12 51)This invention relates to machines for pressing and shaping shoe uppers.One example of a machine for this purpose is shown in the Dodgeapplication Serial Number 604,455 filed April 11, 1932, for Method ofshaping shoe uppers, which on April 16, 1940, eventuated into Patent No.2,197,208.

In this machine a form over which the shoe is placed is carried by agooseneck bracket in position for side pressing forms to move inwardlyfrom opposite sides toward the form and subject the upper of a shoe onthe form. to the desired shaping pressure, the pressure being applied bythe operator. While this pressure should be considerable, as it isapplied through a toggle mechanism, it may be done without undue effortby the operator, but it has been found that some operators, actingon theapparent belief that if heavy pressure is desirable, the heavier thepressure the better, have exerted a quite unnecessary heavy pressurewhich has caused damage and sometimes even breakage of machine parts. I

The present invention, therefore, has for an object to provide amechanism for insuring a desirable heavy but uniform pressure notdependent on the exertion of the operator for its amount, butre'gul'able 'in accordance with the optimum requirements for theparticular work. To this end the application of the pressure may beproduced by fluid pressure mechanism, there being means by which theamount of the fluid pressuremay be regulated. Thus a uniform pressureregardless of thickness of upper materials and regardless of thestrength of the operator may be maintained. For a more completeunderstanding of this invention, reference may be had to theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine having a bank of pressingunits embodying this invention. 7

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view showing one of thepressing units in frontelevation.

Figure .3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the. fluid pressure systemwith connections for one of the unit's.

Referring to the drawing, at i is indicated a supporting table orbenchto the top face of which is secured a plurality of gooseneck brackets 2.Each bracket carries depending from its forward extremity a form 3 overwhich a shoe may be placed, the upper of which is intended to be treatedby the forming and pressing mechanism. For the purpose of the presentinvention any desired type of inner form may be employed, but

as shown it comprises two parts which are ar- 3 comprise a supply tank20, and a pump 21 for 'ing the liquid from the supply chamber 20 rangedto be expanded to an adjustable extent to conform to the requirements ofthe particular shoe being operated upon. For pressing the shoe upperagainst each of these forms is a pair of side presser members 5. Each ofthese sid presser members is shown as carried at the upper end of alever '6, these levers being arranged in pairs as shown in Figures 1 and2, and each being fulcrumed as at I to a suitable portion of the tableI. The lower ends of the arms or levers 6 extend below the pivots 1 andhave at their lower ends rollers 8. Between the rollers 8 of eachopposed pair of arms 6,there is positioned a wedge block 9 havingitswider end upwardly presented and having inclined sides l0 adapted to beengaged by the rollers 8. Thus as the wedge member 9 is depressed thefaces l0 engaging the rollers 8 progressively rock; the lower ends ofthe arms 6 outwardly and bring the side pressing members 5 toward thecentral form 3. These side forms are so shaped that they cause the shoeupper to be pressed against and conformed to the contour of the innerform. t

In accordance with this invention means are provided for insuring thatthe wedge member 9 is drawn between the rollers 8 with a predeterminedpressure, and for this purpose a fluid pressure moving mechanism isemployed and preferably one containing an incompressible fluid such asoil, such a system being generally referred to as a hydraulic system. Tothis end each of the wedges 9 is connected at its lower end to a pistonrod II to which a piston [2 working in the hydraulic cylinder I3 isattached. Pipes l4 and I5 may be employed to supply and discharge theliquid from opposite sides of the piston l2 to move the piston inopposite directions.

As shown in Figure 3 the hydraulic system tak- and introducing it into apressure supply pipe 22. The discharge from the pump 2! has locatedtherein an adjustable pressure relief valve as at 23. This pressurerelief valve, as shownyhas avalve element 24 normally seated in a port25 and-backed up by a spring 26, the tension of whichmay be adjusted asby turning a shaft 21 threaded through the outer end of a valve casing28. For the purpose of regulating this pressure relief valve 7 torelieve pressure lineZZ of any pressure in excess of a desiredpredetermined amount, this threaded shaft?! may be provided at its outerend with an actuating wheel 29. This wheel may be located accessible tothe operator at the forward face of the table I. The response to theadjustment may be indicated to the operator as by the pressure gage at30, deriving its fluid under pressure from any suitable part of thepressure supply as from the pressure line 22.

The pressure line 22 is connected as through a pipe 3! and a check valve32 to each of the controlling valves 33. This controlling valve 33controls the connection of the pipes l4 and [5 to the pressure supplyline 3| and to the discharge line 34 which leads back to the supply 20.By manipulation of the valve 33, fluid under pressure may be caused toact on either face of the corresponding piston l2, thus to drive itswedge 9 downwardly and apply pressure against the upper of a shoe on thecorresponding form, or to lift the wedge 9 and thus relieve pressure onthe shoe upper.

Any suitable means such as a spring 40 may be employed to swing theouter presser members and the upper portions of the arms 6 outwardlywhen the wedge 9 is being moved upwardly, thus to release the shoe fromthe forming pressure. I

It will be noted that there is an actuating handle 4| accessible to theoperator at the forward face of the table I and that there is anindividual valve 33, for each of the pressing units, each such pressingunit comprising a central form to receive the shoe, the side pressermembers for pressing the sides of the shoe upper against the form,

and the controlling and actuating mechanism.

There is, however, only a single pressure relief valve so that all thepressing units in the one bank have their maximum pressure set at thesame point. The pressure relief valve having been set to the desiredpressure, and the valve 33 of one of the pressing units being in theposition' to admitfiuid under pressure beneath one of the pistons l2 andto discharge fluid from above that piston, so that the side members forone unit are spaced from the form, a shoe is placed over this form,which is adjusted to fit it, whereupon the valves 33 are turned by theoperator to reverse the fluid connections to the cylinder l3, thusdrawing down on the wedge block 9 and causing the side presser members 5to close on the shoe upper under forming pressure. After a suitable,time, the valve is turned to admit fluid beneath the piston' IZ'fand todischarge fluid from about it, opening the pressing mechanism for theremoval of the treated shoe and the insertion of an untreated shoe.

From the foregoing description of an embodiment of this invention, itshould be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications might be made without departing from the spirit or scopeof this invention as defined by the appended claims.

Iclaim: I r g 1. In combination, shoe upper pressing means,

and means including a pressure limiting device for actuating saidpressing means to press a shoe upper with a definite maximum pressureapplied by said pressing means regardless of the thickness of saidupper. V

2. In combination, shoe upper pressing means, fluid pressure mechanismfor actuating said pressing means, and means for predetermining theamount of such fluid pressure and thereby controlling the pressureexerted on said upper.

3. The combination with a form over which the upper of a shoe may beplaced, and means for pressing a shoe upper on said form against thesurface of said form, of fluid pressure means for actuating saidpressing means, and pressure limiting means determining the amount ofsuch fluid pressure and thereby controlling the pressure exerted on saidupper during a pressing operation.

4. The combination with a form over which a shoe may be placed, sidepresser members, pivoted arms carrying said presser members for motionfrom and toward the sides of said form, of a wedge member mounted formotion between said arms to swing said arms in pressing directions, andmeans acting with a predetermined force for moving said wedge member inpressing direction.

5. The combination with a form over which a shoe may be placed, sidepresser members, pivoted arms carrying said presser members for motionfrom and toward the sides of said form, of a wedge member mounted formotion between said arms to swing said arms in pressing directions,fluid pressure means for moving said wedge member in pressing direction,and means for fixing the pressure of the fluid in said fluid pressuremeans.

6. The combination with a form over'which a shoe may be placed, sidepressure members, a source of fluid pressure, fluid pressure operatedmeans for moving said side presser members to bring said presser memberstoward said form, and means for controlling the supply of fluid underpressure from said source with respect to said fluid pressure operatedmeans.

7. The combination with a form over which a shoe may be placed, sidepresser members, arms carrying said presser members for motion from andtoward the sides of said form, a source of fluid pressure, fluidpressure operated means for moving said arms to bring said pressermembers toward said form, and means for controlling the supply of fluidunder pressure from said source with respect to said fluid pressureoperated means. i

8. The combination with a form over which a shoe may be placed, sidepresser members, arms carrying said presser members for motion from andtoward the sides of said form, a source of fluid pressure, meansderiving fluid under pressure from said source for moving said arms tobring said presser members toward said form, and a pressure relief valvein controlling relation to fluid used by said moving means to' determinethe maximum pressure exerted between said pressure members and form.

9. The combination with a form on which a shoe may be placed, sidepresser members, a source of fluid pressure, means for supporting saidside presser members for motion of said member toward from said form,and means deriving power from said source for actuating said supportingmeans to bring said presser members toward said form, and a pressurelimiting device in controlling relation to the fluid from said sourcewhich operates said actuating means.

JOHN F. SMITH.

Petent No. 2,516,125.

. CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION.

' April 6, 191; JOHN F. SMITH.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed spemificsltion"0f the Above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2,second colnmn, line 60, claim 9, after the word "toward" insert --and--;same line before the word "means" strike out a nd--; and that the saidLetters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the samemay conform to the record of the casein the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of May, A. D. 19LL5.

Henry Van Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 4

